Sigmund bergmann



(No Model.)

S. BERGMANN. UONDUIT FOR ELEOTRIO WIRING IN BUILDINGS.

No. 447,861. Patented Mar. 10,1891.

3513 Either/1% MW UNITED STATES PATENT Gimme.

SIGMUND BERGMANN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC WIRING IN BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,861, dated March10, 1891. Application filed August 1, 1890. Serial No. 360,652. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND BERGMANN, of New York, in the county andState of New York, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement inConduits for Electric IViring in Buildings, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention consists in a seat or seats placed at various points inconduits for electric wiring and constructed to receive a switch; and italso consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts in theswitch.

I will describe my invention, and then point out the novel features inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of aconduit system embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of awall, conduit, and switch. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a switch-boxwith a switch therein. Fig. at is a plan of the switchbase block. Figsloand 6 show the switchwheels.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts-in all thefigures.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates a conduitfor wiresplaced in the masonry A during the construction of a building. TheconduitA is here shown as tubular in form, and it preferablyconsists ofinsulating material, such as paper, properly coated to render itwater-proof.

B designates a frame seat or box, within which a switch B maybedetachably secured.

The box B may be of any suitable material, such as metal,0r it may be ofinsulating material. It is here shown as substantially cup form, closedat its inner end to exclude dampness from the wall, and having anoutward opening provided with a cover B which may be secured in place byscrews 1). The box has openings Z) in its opposite sides, and tubularprojections b therefrom registering or engaging with ends of the conduitA, so that the line wires a passing through the conduit may pass intothe box and engage With the switch. Of course when it is desirable notto place a switch in a box at a certain point the wires will passdirectly through the box. It will be observed that the box B is of suchsize with relation to the switch that the switch can be wholly withdrawntherefrom. lVith this arrangement of switches the electrical current maybe switched off or on at various points in abuilding. In Fig. 1 I haveshown a switch seat or box at B.

I will now describe a double switch adapted for use in this system.

0 designates a base-block, preferably of vitreous material, seated inthe inner end of the box 13, to which it may be secured by screws orotherwise. Four contact-plates c are secured to the base 0 by means ofbinding-screws for the line wires, and these contact-plates haveoutwardly extending portions 0, which coact' with spring-clips c thereonto removably engage resilient contacts 0 extending from theswitch-plates. I have shown the spring-clips c as curved to engage overa head or shouldered portion of the contacts 0 and it will be seen thatby loosening the cover 13 the switch maybe disengaged from the block 0by simply drawing it outward and engaged therewith by pushing it inward.The incline of the heads, as shown in the contacts 0 force the clipsaway from the portion 0.

D designates a rotary shaft or post extending through an opening in thecoverB and having a bearing at its end in the base block 0. A bushing dof insulating material maysurround the shaft D within the opening in thecover.

E E designate switch-wheels of suitable i11- sulatin g material, looselymounted on the shaft D. hen the contacts 0 are in engagement with theplates 0, the wheel E remains stationary, but the wheel E is intended torotate with the shaft D when the shaft is turned in one direction. Tocause the wheel E to turn with the shaft, the shaft is provided with apin 6, which bears against one side of pins 6', extending outwardly fromthe wheel. A pin 6 passingthrough the shaft D and bearing against thewheel E, prevents said wheel from moving lengthwise of the shaft. Thepin e passes through a transverse hole in the shaft and may be withdrawntherefrom when it is desired to remove the wheels E E from the shaft. Ihave designated the parts E E as wheels; but they are supports for metalportions of the switch and may be of any desired contour.

The wheel E has four inclined or cam surfaces and radial shoulders f onits inner face. Each of the cam-surfaces f has a curvedorsegmentalcontact-platef secured to it, and the respective contacts 0pass through openings in the wheel and engage with the plates f In Fig.3 I have shown the contacts 0 as being an integral portion of the platef It will be seen that two opposite plates f are inside of the circularline of the other plates, or, in other words, the plates are in twocircles,

.and there is an insulated space between adjacent ends of the plates ofeach circle.

The wheel E has attached to it two concentric metal rings g, andresilient contacts g are attached to the rings. The contacts g arecurved in the arc of a circle and are constructed to bear at their freeends against the cam-surfacesof the Wheel E in line with the plates fThen the wheel E is turned to bring the contacts 9 upon the plates f anelectrical circuit will be established, and by turning the wheelone-quarter turn the circuit will be broken.

Itwill be seen that the line wires (1, at each side of the base-blockconnect, respectively, with plates 0, which, have electricalengagementwith the inner and outer circles of plates 1, so that thecurrent is transmitted through the contacts g and rings g from the wiresof one side to those of the other.

Having described my invention, what I claim. is-

1. The combination,with a frame having a base of insulating material and contact-plates th e-reon, of a switch portion removably engaging withsaid contact-plates, and a rotary switch portion coacting with thefirst-named switch portion, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a box or seat, of a base-block, contact-platestherein having spring-clips, a switch portion removably engaging withsaid clips, and a rotary switch portion coacting with the first-namedswitch port-ion, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a box or seat and a base-block of vitreousmaterial therein having binding-screws, of a switch consisting of arotary portion and a stationary portion removably engaging with thebase-block, substantially as specified.

4. In a switch, the combination, with the box having the binding-screwsand plates therein, a rotary shaft, a wheel of insulating materialmounted thereon, contact plates thereon arranged in two circles, a wheelof insulating material constructed to rotate with the shaft, and curvedresilient contacts on said wheel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIGMUND BERGMANN.

\Vitnesses:

ORLANDO C. J. SCHARFF, D. R. SANFORD.

